An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), which may also be referred to as an autonomous vehicle, is a vehicle capable of travel without a physically-present human operator. A UAV may operate in a remote-control mode, in an autonomous mode, or in a partially autonomous mode.
When a UAV operates in a remote-control mode, a pilot or driver that is at a remote location can control the UAV via commands that are sent to the UAV via a wireless link. When the UAV operates in autonomous mode, the UAV typically moves based on pre-programmed navigation waypoints, dynamic automation systems, or a combination of these. Further, some UAVs can operate in both a remote-control mode and an autonomous mode, and in some instances may do so simultaneously. For instance, a remote pilot or driver may wish to leave navigation to an autonomous system while manually performing another task, such as operating a mechanical system for picking up objects, as an example.
Various types of UAVs exist for various different environments. For instance, UAVs exist for operation in the air. Examples include quad-copters and tail-sitter UAVs, among others. UAVs also exist for hybrid operations in which multi-environment operation is possible.